The law’s changing – from April 2016, all dogs in England, Wales and Scotland must be microchipped. It’s already compulsory in Northern Ireland. While this normally costs £15-£20 at a local vets, you can get it done for free (please donate if you can) when you book an appointment with the charity Dogs Trust.
Microchipping your dog (a tiny implant about the size of a grain of rice) stores your details as its owner on an electronic database, which makes it much easier to reunite you with your pooch should he/she ever get lost. As long as they’re at least eight weeks old, you can have dogs of any breed or size microchipped.
If there’s no Dogs Trust centre near you, or if you can’t get an appointment, see ChipMyDog.org for free microchipping events happening all over the UK.
Thanks to MoneySavingExpert for this tip!
The Green Dog Club is a local scheme, free to join – here are the details!
Collyweston village website 